# Is "The Sandman: Endless Nights" by Neil Gaiman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman (DC Comics / Vertigo, 2003) is identified by: Original graphic-novel hardcover, DC Comics / Vertigo, 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0089-3), with First Printing stated on the copyright page. First edition is the 2003 DC/Vertigo hardcover with First Printing on the copyright page.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Original graphic-novel hardcover, DC Comics / Vertigo, 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0089-3), with First Printing stated on the copyright page
- Bound in pictorial boards with the painted cover art and overall book design by Dave McKean; interiors by multiple artists (P. Craig Russell, Milo Manara, Miguelanxo Prado, Barron Storey, Bill Sienkiewicz, Glenn Fabry, Frank Quitely)
- Issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the flap; the jacket reproduces the McKean cover art
- Correct publisher/imprint: DC Comics / Vertigo

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Gaiman |
| Publisher | DC Comics / Vertigo |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Original graphic-novel hardcover, DC Comics / Vertigo, 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0089-3), with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Original graphic-novel hardcover, DC Comics / Vertigo, 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0089-3), with First Printing stated on the copyright page. Bound in pictorial boards with the painted cover art and overall book design by Dave McKean; interiors by multiple artists (P. Craig Russell, Milo Manara, Miguelanxo Prado, Barron Storey, Bill Sienkiewicz, Glenn Fabry, Frank Quitely). Issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the flap; the jacket reproduces the McKean cover art.

## Is this the true first?
First edition is the 2003 DC/Vertigo hardcover with First Printing on the copyright page. It is frequently cited as one of the earliest graphic novels to debut on the New York Times bestseller list.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The trade softcover and all later printings carry later printing statements and are not the first hardcover printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sandman: Endless Nights* by Neil Gaiman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sandman-endless-nights
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.